MIDHURST TO SINGLETON - 7.49 miles 1162 feet up 1058 feet down.
This section of the walk starts at the Angel Inn in Midhurst which is a hotel and restaurant
http://www.theangelinnmidhurst.com/ and a 17th century coaching inn. [00.00 miles 886216]. Head south on North Street in the direction of the nearby traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing and at [00.01 miles 886215] turn left down Knockhundred Row.
Follow the road around to the right where it is now called Church Hill and you will get to the church of St Mary Magdeline and St Denys This is the interior looking towards the altar. [0.16 miles 886214]
http://midhurstparishchurch.net
Continue south after the church, above is the view looking back.
At the next road junction West Street and the old part of the Spread Eagle Hotel is off to the right (see picture above).
http://www.hshotels.co.uk/spread-eagle-hotel-and-spa/ Continue straight on now in South Street. At 0.26 miles 886216 with South Pond to the right turn left down the road called The Wharf.
Keep going straight on down The Wharf passing houses and industrial premises until the above humpbacked bridge is reached [0.41 miles 889213]. Turn right across it and after passing a house on the left take a path on the left. [0.46 miles 889 212] The path initially runs along the top of a wooded slope down to the River Rother and you may just catch a glimpse of the ruins of Cowdrey Castle to the north. At 0.76 miles 894213 the path veers away from the River and heads towards and passes through Kennels Dairy and out their entrance road. On reaching a road junction in a dip (1.14 miles 899219] with Selham Road go straight on over a watercourse and take the bridleway on the right in 100 metres. After initially going through woods there is then a field on the left and then it is back into woods again. At 1.44 miles 896207 turn left at a cross roads of tracks. At 1.53 miles 898207 the track bends right and descends to a stream. At 1.61 miles 898206 bear left where there is another bridleway to the right. The track then climbs out of the valley through woods. Keep on the track still in woods until reaching a "T" junction [ 2.05 miles 903 201] and turn right down another track (see photo below which is a typical view of the track).
At 2.11 miles 903200 the track crosses a bridge over the former Midhurst to Petworth railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midhurst_Railways Above is the view down onto the former track bed looking east. Go straight on immediately after the bridge and on reaching a cross roads with a much larger track at 2.21miles 902199 go straight across and immediately take the left fork, really straight on again.
The route climbs through beautiful woods (above). At 2.34 miles 902197 you should notice there is a boundary between two wooded areas on the right of the track. Keep following that boundary until at 2.62 miles 889193 the route forks left on a less significant track and 100 metres later reaches a cross roads with another bridleway. Go straight across now on a footpath which after crossing some heath land descends steeply down through trees to join Mill Lane [2.92 miles 899189]. Turn right along the road. Soon there are tennis courts on the right, take a path on the left of the road going into a field. [2.98 miles 898188] For 30 metres the boundary on the right is followed but then the path goes SSE across the cropped field to the right end of a line of trees which is all that is left of an old hedge boundary [3.08 miles 899186]. The route is then south across the middle of the cropped field on a track to the southern boundary [3.25 miles 898184]. There are two fields to the south enter the left hand one and keep straight on following the boundary on the right. At the other end of the field pass to the right of a farm and outbuildings and onto a road in the village of Heyshott. [3.49 miles 898180] Turn right along the road.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyshott
At 3.59 miles 896181 with the Church of St James on the right turn left along another more minor road. The next building on the left is the village hall. Immediately after the hall turn left down a footpath. After crossing a stream a field is entered [3.67 miles 897180].
Follow the left hand boundary (picture above) to the far left corner, then enter the field beyond [3.84 miles 898178]
Continue straight on following the boundary on the left (above is the view looking back to Heyshott).
When the field boundary on the left goes left continue straight on across the field to the other side (view across the field above) where a track that is a minor road is reached [4.06 miles 897174] Turn left along it and then almost immediately right up a bridle road climbing up Heyshott Down ahead.
Above is the view looking back down the bridle road. At 4.37 miles 897169 the wooded part of Heyshott Down is reached. Take the right hand of the tracks ahead which climbs steeply following a fence on the right.
Above is a photo looking back down the fence line. It is a stiff climb until the top of the woods is reached when it is out into a field. Bear slightly right across the field to join the South Downs Way. [4.75 miles 894165]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Downs_Way Go straight across onto a bridleway. At 4.86 miles 893163 go straight across a junction with a footpath. At 5.03 miles 891161 ignore a forest track on the right and keep straight on. At 5.15 miles 890160 there is a junction of five forest tracks - take the second from the left.
This is the track going very straight in a southerly direction generally downhill.
Further down looking back uphill. At 5.79 miles 889149 the other end of the forest is reached at a place called Burntoak Gate. Continue straight on along a green lane between fields. Shortly after ignore the footpath forking right to Broadham House and keep to the bridleway as it climbs uphill.
Above is a view back down the hill along the bridleway.
Above is the view from the bridleway west to Broadham House in the valley.
At 6.09 miles 889145 there is a junction of four bridleways and one footpath. The New Lipchis Way is going to Singleton which means bearing right and into a large field. Levin Down is directly ahead, follow the boundary and trees along the right side of the field.
Above is the view looking back along the large field, where the route came in to the field is way in the distance. At 6.46 miles 884141 a fence running up the slope to the left is reached. Follow the fence uphill.
This the view looking west across the South Downs.
In the far right corner of the field go through a gate [6.73 miles 882138] and this is the view ahead with a water trough in the foreground. A track goes down the hill gradually bending right.
This is the view looking back where the track can be seen. The track is heading for the bottom right hand corner of the field but as you near it look for a footpath to the left of where the bridleway leaves the field. [7.01 miles 879135]
In the next field this is the view downhill to the village of Singleton. Go across the field to pick up the hedge lower down (in the picture) and follow it down to leave the field via a track to the right of Singleton Church of England Primary School to join the Charlton Road [7.24 miles 879131] Turn right along the road ignoring The Leys on the left. Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast
http://www.rosecottage-singleton.co.uk/ is on the right.
Then fork left at 7.32 miles 878131 and the road will take you to the Partridge Inn.
This was my liver and bacon on mash.
Turn right up the road next to the pub and at the other end there is the A286. Turn left along the main road and from the bus shelter on the right [7.49 miles 876131] it is possible to get a bus 60 back to Midhurst.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com
